Methods and Technical Key Points for Farming Freshwater Crayfish

Every June, crayfish in various regions of our country begin to hit the market, and at that time many people buy some to take home and make specialty dishes such as spicy crayfish and stir-fried crayfish, which are very popular, and during this period, crayfish prices rise in a straight-line fashion, so many regions rely on farming crayfish to make money, so what are the methods for farming freshwater crayfish?

1. Pond construction

Crayfish are suited to growing in an environment with clean water quality and no pollution nearby, and generally ponds, rice paddies and river ditches are good farming sites. After choosing the site, build a pond of suitable size according to the farming quantity, with the pond area generally around 10-50 mu being appropriate. After the pond is built, enclose the surroundings with an escape-prevention net, and seal the bottom tightly with soil to prevent escape. In addition, some aquatic plants can be planted in the pond according to the climate, such as Elodea, hornwort and hydrilla, covering about 30% of the pond's total area.

2. Pond disinfection

Before releasing the seedlings, mix 150-300 kg of quicklime per mu into a slurry and evenly spread it into the pond to benefit crayfish growth.

3. Releasing the seedlings

Before release, spread about 2250 kg of fermented manure per mu; if after 3 days the pond water is not fertile, splash fermented organic fertilizer water several times in small amounts to bring the pond water to suitable fertility. The water transparency should be 25-35 cm, preferably clear green. When the water temperature reaches above 15°C, buy some healthy seedlings from a specialized fishing supply store and release them into the pond. Generally, for crayfish seedlings with a body length of 1.5-2.0 cm or more, release 50-80 kg per mu.

4. Feeding and management techniques

(1) Feeding: Crayfish are omnivorous animals and can eat soybeans, pumpkin, wheat, corn, sweet potato, hornwort, animal offal, trash fish and so on. Generally the daily bait amount of dry feed is roughly 5-10% of the body weight of the small crayfish. Feeding needs to be at fixed times, fixed locations, with fixed quality and fixed quantity.

(2) Water quality requirements: In the early stage, focus on fertilizing the water, with transparency of about 25 cm. In the middle and late stages, change and add water frequently, preferably changing or adding water once every 3-5 days, keeping the water transparency at about 40 cm. According to the water quality situation, appropriately turn on the aerator to maintain a relatively high oxygen content in the water. In high-temperature seasons, aquatic products are prone to dying, so they should be removed promptly. Periodically splash microbial preparations, once every half month over the whole pond, which can effectively improve water quality.

(3) Disease prevention and control: Crayfish have strong adaptability, but they may also be infected with diseases during the farming process, so quicklime should be used regularly to disinfect the water body and kill pathogens. Once disease occurs, the cause must be identified and the right medicine used. Deal with it quickly to avoid causing big losses.